Bjorn Burke, Staff Reporter

If there ever was a practitioner who has seen fair share of characters from all walks of life, it is the bartender, for sure. Barkeepers wear many hats, psychiatrist or the coach, rendering them inexplicably proficient all-rounders.

Jennifer Watson, 48, is one such publican. Watson hails from St Mary, but has since found a happy home in Kingston. She has seen just about everything in her line of work. She detailed how she was introduced bartending in 1993.

"I used to visit a bar in Marverly where mi girlfriend used to work, but still I never started working there," she said. "I used to go there and just admire the people dem. Admire the customers how them deal with her, and even how she present herself to the customers."

Watson would become a bartender herself. It was not until 1999, after a much-needed change of profession, she started working at a bar in Kingston. Her largely informal bartending training commenced thereafter. She told THE STAR her instructor taught her well.

"She teach me how to measure the rum, and she even teach me how to deal with the customers dem," Watson said. "By the way how you serve them, you have to make them love you; you entertain them."

These days, Watson is a fixture at Whilby's Pub, centrally located along a section of Red Hills Road in St Andrew. Meeting new people, having discourse, with candour, with the regulars, all the while serving up dependable old favourites, are just some of her great pleasures.

"You have regular customers, very good customers, people who love me! They all love me," a beaming Watson said.

"Some of them are very close to me, like family. When I'm not here at this bar, it is a dead bar. When I come here, this bar gets lively! It's me who make some customers stick to this bar."

Challenges

Watson recounted, however, that being a bartender certainly has its challenges. She explained that, from time to time, she often has a tough time with customers who walk in and order just about everything behind the counter. It is all fun and games until it comes time to settle the bill, Watson explained.

The bill appears to be the bane of a publican's existence. Most often, as anyone would imagine, inebriated customers lose track of just how many drinks they've had, detailing perceived irregularities with their tabs.

It is usually at this time, Watson said, that these customers as profiled, get a little piqued and sometimes rowdy.

"You have some customers weh will come and say 'Yu tief me!', after dem have a whole dozen drinks," she said, as she laughed.

It is for this reason, Watson explained, that it is very important to maintain good bookkeeping habits.

THE STAR conversed with customers as they popped in to have a drink. One particularly relaxed older man told our news team that he patronises Whilby's because of its downbeat aura.

"Put it this way, I'm not a very young person. I'm one of those persons that get along with almost everybody. First of all, at this bar, you don't see any common people. We are all mature persons here, and persons who spend. Not that you're prejudice, yu know? But certain standards have to be maintained," the patron said. He further explained that the atmosphere, coupled with pleasant Whilby's employees, keeps him coming back.

"One of the things that people do here is play dominoes. Most of the customers are avid domino players," he shared, as he invited our news team to observe a game in progress.

Many come for the drinks, and stay for the conversation, concluding with an intense game of 'six love' dominoes. Playing for drinks appears to be commonplace.

Whether it is 'a special' or a drink of your finest liquor on the rocks, Jennifer Watson is a veteran barkeeper who certainly knows her way around the top-shelf.